JOHANNESBURG -- A South Africa magistrate last week ordered a local man to pay a fine of 1 000 rands (aboutUS$144) or spend two years in jail for attacking a Zimbabwean journalist during xenophobic violence earlier this year.David Monareng was convicted of attacking Brian Kajengo, who works for South Africas top selling tabloid, Daily Sun, during xenophobic violence that broke out at Bush Buckridge, in Mpumalanga province and other parts of South Africa in the weeks immediately after the end of the FIFA World Cup in July.
Monareng (39), who pleaded guilty to the charge immediately paid half of the fine and promised to clear the balance by the end of the month.
According to the prosecution, Monareng attacked Kajengo for being a foreigner, hitting him with sticks and bricks, causing the Zimbabwean serious injuries to the head.
Monareng, who was later found in possession of a firearm, had to surrender it to the police and his firearm licence was subsequently cancelled for posing danger to the society.
Kajengo was represented by his lawyer Portia Mukhufi while Monareng was represented by his defence lawyer Time Kgomotso.
Thousands of foreigners in South Africa were attacked by locals, mainly in Johannesburg’s Kya Sands, Cape Town’s Khayelitsha and parts of Eastern Cape Province in Port Elizabeth for allegedly stealing their jobs, women as well as committing crime in the country, a claim the foreigners vehemently rejected.
In 2008, about 200 000 foreign nationals, mainly Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and Malawians were displaced from their homes during xenophobic violence that left at least 60 of the immigrants dead.
Post published in: Politics